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Gregory Maguire is still one of my favorite authors but Mirror, Mirror is sadly one of my least favorite books by this author. It’s tragic because I really wanted to love this book as much as I love much of his other works. Mirror, Mirror wasn’t a poorly written book but it definitely didn’t inspire me to read on.

As far as his body of work goes, the same tools and tricks he uses to craft and ensnare us with his other stories are utilized here. Maguire infuses reality and history into a fairytale as old as time itself, while finding a way to draw forth a deeper moral to the overall concept, making us look closer at our childhood bedtime stories.

This time however, I found the story weighed down with too much historical context. This time around I felt sequestered on an island. It dragged on like the years Vicente spent in prison. I too was trapped, between my desire to finish the book and my inability to completely buy into the history lesson.

Maguire’s retelling of the Grimm’s classic Snow White, takes us to Montefiore. A luxurious farm nestled high above the rolling hills and valleys of Tuscany and Umbria. We meet our main character, seven – year – old Bianca de Nevada and her doting father Don Vicente.

Vicente is sent on a religious quest by the unscrupulous Cesare Borgia and his sister, Lucrezia leaving innocent Bianca at the mercy of the two wicked children of the corrupt political family.

Snow White’s tale has always been about purity and innocence and this version was no different. Maguire’s Mirror, Mirror added another layer of depth toying with the theme of influence and how influence can effect and alter another’s existence.
We saw how the influence of Pope Alexander VI shaped his children and led them ultimately to their demises.

How Vicente’s influence kept Bianca on Montefiore, how Primavera and Fra Ludovico were able to protect the young girl with whatever little influence they had. How Bianca’s mere presence was enough to change the dwarves.

We watched the transformations of each main character in the book as the story crept on at it’s snails pace. The intention seemed to be to give context. Snow White’s was a slow systematic manipulation at the hands of Lucrezia. A years long evolution in what seemed like a chrysalis stage ending the final if not abrupt emergence as a fully physical formed young woman, gullible but seemingly of age.

Vicente’s evolution was more a literal withering of his body and at times his mind. He remained determined to her back to his daughter despite the challenges he’d faced.

Lucrezia Borgia’s evolution was more a literal transformation, when we are introduced to her she is at the height of her power both physically and politically but gradually falls away. In time Lucrezia’s own vanity strips her of everything and her relentlessness drives her to her death.

Maguire’s interpretation of Snow White showed a young girl who was always isolated. Shyer than most, she possessed a curiosity that was often outweighed by her meekness. I rooted for our heroin to some day be rejoined with her father but even more than that I rooted for our heroin to save herself.

This Snow White didn’t seem like the main character at all. The action happened around her or to her but never as a direct result of her. In fact the entire catalyst of her story was in reaction Cesare Borgia and not the young girl directly.

This may be why the book dragged on for ages. It took me about four months to finish reading it in its entirety, partly because I knew how the story would end. I wasn’t waiting for some great plot twist or any alterations to the basic story line. There was instead a more pensive waiting to see how the author would unfold the common tropes of Snow White.

His delivery though overwhelmed with backstory and scenery did not disappoint. We witnessed Maguire masterfully craft the magic mirror, then shatter it’s magic with science before shrouding it with myth again. Maguire unpeeled the layers of the queen’s depravity and her spell-craft and even gave meaning to the high position the apple played in the story. The apple which has always been a symbol of purity and wisdom. A religious scion to relate to, a means of temptation especially when paired with the feminine mystique.

Maguire’s apple served as not only a means to begin the story but a common thread tying all the tales loose ends together. The apple which once tempted Eve in her garden drove Lucrezia to insanity and murder. A nod at how even the semblance of influence is enough to alter one’s behavior.

Overall I did enjoy the book. I’m rating it 3/5 because I wouldn’t force myself to endure it a second time but definitely would recommend reading it if you’re a fan of Maguire’s books. If you enjoy a good fairy tale or like adult adaptation’s of children’s stories than this book is great to add to the list.

For me I get to scratch it off my Gregory Maguire bucket – list and move on to my new read.

Zelena a.k.a. The Wicked Witch of the West’s character is a notable one. First-born of Cora, a miller’s daughter, a.k.a. Queen of Hearts. Abandoned, so her mother could grab the crown she so desperately craved, she’s resents Regina for being the one Cora kept. So eager to surpass her sister, Zelena has managed to repeat her mother’s mistakes.

Tonight’s episode takes us back to OZ for a glimpse of the puzzling romance of Zelena and Hades startign with the spell that’d bring them together. Zelena, still ruling in OZ had plans to create a time spell that would send her back to before Cora abandoned her.

She’d need a brain and having kidnapped the scarecrow she nearly succeeded in stealing his. Until Dorothy, who returned to Oz per the request of the Munchkins, came in to stop her. With the help of TOTO they escape leaving Zelena furious.

She immediately rushes to Munchkinland demanding answers, what she gets instead is attention from the Underworld’s Lord and Master. Hades spins a tail of treachery, that Zeus somehow tricked him into being stuck in the Underworld with a frozen heart and that only true love’s kiss will start his heart again. He means to use her time spell to go back and change his fate. The two bond over their vengeance and sibling rivalry.

He offers to help her by leading her to Dorothy, in turn she will help him with a spell of his own. Zelena tracks down Dorothy and manages to get the Scarecrows brain. Returning to her lair, Hades reveals that he is now in love with her. When she spurns him he vows she’ll regret it.

Rushing to the present day Underworld we see that Rumple is being forced to create a portal to bring living beings there. Rumple succeeds in doing so just as Zelena posing as the Blue Fairy comes to steal Baby Hood from Belle. Her plans when the real Blue Fairy appears but most importantly when the portal opens she and Belle and Baby Hood are sucked through it. Zelena injured and magicless is bested by Belle who runs to find help.

She finds Rumple who reveals, he’s still the Dark One; she’s pregnant, and that the baby will belongs to Hades. Demanding he fix things, Belle takes the baby and continues to look for help. Zelena limps her way to Regina and Robin asking for help. Eventually tracking Belle down, as we suspected Zelena tries stealing her away. Helpless to stop a crying baby without magic, Zelena decides the safest place for the child is with Robin and Regina.

Zelena goes off to find Hades, but as the two square off he confesses that this was all a ploy to show his love for her. Claiming to have tried to smuggle the baby away for her he begs to prove his love. Tearfully she declines this time leaving to go get her daughter back.

Let the games begin, the underworld just got more hectic. Next week Rumple faces off against Gaston….OMG!

A common thread of Once Upon A Time is it’s focus on family, so tonight’s episode fondly titled “The Brothers Jones” was sure to offer insight into the familial workings of our hunky Hook and his big brother Liam. The previews gave of the hard points of the episode, Hook newly rescued by Emma still guilt ridden that he succumbed to darkness is tracked down in the Underworld by his brother Liam.

Through a flashbacks we see how Liam has always looked out for Killian caring for his younger brother after their father sold them into servitude aboard the ship of a ruthless captain. Liam’s dreams as you may know at this point is to be get a naval commission. (Mostly from what I can see is a desire for the notoriety it’d bring.)

Remember in Labor of Love when Cruella tasked Henry with returning her to the mortal world? Welp in this episode Cruella drives haphazardly through Underbrook searching for the soul of the magic quill. Instead Henry finds the apprentice who’s unfinished business is actually guiding him to making the right decisions in regards to the quill. He the tells Henry exactly where to find it.

Snow and David go to retrieve the key to the apprentice’s mansion. James, David’s evil twin brother, is sheriff of Underbrook and has the ley at the sheriff’s station. He’s also porking Cruella. When David can’t take pretending any longer she reveals she’d always known it was him. They share a touching moment and Cruella explains how deeply hurt James feels for being the one their mother gave away to the king.

As of now James is still M.I.A. (probably because he’s busy being David) so key in hand the troupe heads to the mansion where the Storybook that has Hades story is said to be.

Liam sacrifices his dreams of being a navy man when he comes back to find Killian unconscious, drunk and broke from gambling. Refusing to leave his brother alone on the ship he decides to stay and make the next run. The captain had been hunting the famed eye of the storm a crystal found in the center of a hurricane. The voyage would’ve killed them all, so Liam and Killian cause a mutiny and attempt to stear it out of he storm.

Liam attempted at first to rescue the men aboard the ship, but when visited by Hades he agrees to sell the crews souls to save himself and Killian, Hades even throws in the eye of the storm so that Liam can get that naval commission he’d been wanting. That secret was one that Hades was all to willing to reveal to Hook should Liam refuse to tear his pages from the storybook.

Liam acquiesces, but is found out by Emma who while outing him also gets into a fight with Hook. As she storms off, Liam convinces him to give her time to cool off. Hook also sees the ink from the books pages on his hand and demands the truth, just as the drowned sailors come for revenge. Seems the old captain overheard Liam’s conversation with Hades.

The men are kidnapped and walked to the fire river and surprisingly Hades saves Liam whilst planning to kill Killian. Liam sacrifices himself for his brother and earns redemption, he ushers the souls of the sailors onto a magnificent vessel. Liam’s true heaven.

The battle for Hook’s soul has ended he decides to return to Storybrooke with Emma. Henry finally tells someone/David about the quill/ink and Cruella’s request. His cries to be more than just a spectator heard he finally understands the apprentice’s warning. His ability to write the stories is the key to finding out why Hades doesn’t want his pages read.

If you’ve seen the previews next week Zelena picks up with Hades where Cora left off with Rumple except it’s in the Underworld…

Even the name of tonight’s episode of Once Upon a Time is revealing. Devil’s Due… Immediate foreshadowing but I love it!

When we last left our heroes in the Underworld, they were killing Cerberus and angering Hades. Hades in retaliation has decided that for the 3 souls they’ve rescued, 3 of the rescue party would have to stay. As punishment for having hope, Hook would have to choose which of the three would stay.

Hook refuses to do so, and Hades in term plans to drop him in the river of lost souls. As he dangles, Hades taunts him advising that he would choose and kill all of his friends.

Rumple casts a spell while searching for Bae, and discovers that Belle is preggo, (perfect timing since actress Emilie De Ravin just had her baby.) In a flash back, we see Rumple when he was mortal and married to Mila. Baelfire, was stricken by a snake who’s poison would kill him in 24 hours unless he had a magical antidote.

The shaman responsible for the cure wanted 100 gold pieces since they were poor, Mila’s advice was to come back kill the shaman and steal it. Rumple in his cowardly days, couldn’t bring himself to killing the man while he slept and instead bargained the life of his second born child to save the life of his first.

Rumple seeks Mila out to help them get to Hook in the underworld. She offers to help save Killian and meets Emma, the woman who single handedly bedded both her ex-lover and her son, and Henry’s grandmother. (Awkward)

Her souls aura helps get them to Hook who is dangling dangerously close to the river of lost souls. Emma rescues him in the nick of time but Hades comes in with a double cross of his own. Rumple has been trying to get home to Belle since they arrived; Hades who appreciates the Dark Ones penchant for death and destruction offers him a deal.

Destroy the boat that got the group to Hook and he would be sent home. Rumple, casts Mila into the river of lost souls and does as he is asked. Only to be betrayed by Hades in the end. Seems Rumple returned to the shaman, and killed him after possibly impregnating Cora. It nullified the contract they had in the mortal worlds however, in the Underworld it did nothing at all.

Both the Shaman and the broken contract belong to Hades who intends to collect, with Belle’s child that is unless Rumple agrees to work for Hades.

Emma gets Hook back to the group, and Regina attempts the heart splitting spell that saved James but it doesn’t work. Hades has chosen the 3 souls to remain in the underworld, and plans to keep Emma, Regina and Snow White prisoner there.

This is shaping up to be quite the adventure, I wonder how our heroes will make it out now. I guess we’ll find out next week @ 8pm!

Last week ABC’s Once Upon A Time returned and took us to the Underworld in a quest to rescue Hook’s soul. This week we meet the Underworld’s most notable pet. CERBERUS.

This three-headed hell-hound is the stuff nightmares are made of and our heroes must defeat it if they even want to get close.

The show opens with a badly beaten Hook, plotting his escape from the conveniently unguarded prison of the underworld. Inside it, a fellow prisoner warns him not to try to flee. Hook being our favorite cheeky pirate not only flees but brings her along with him, sending her with a message for Emma to help and facing Cerberus alone.

Emma and the gang are scouring the underworld looking for Hook but instead stumble upon his prison mate. She advises them that Hook is captured by Hades and being guarded by the hell hound.

Mary Mags, tells the group the only way to defeat Cerberus is by helping Hercules, who she discovered earlier in the search was in the underworld as a lost soul. It seems our Queen has a history with Hercules, when she was still young before Regina outwardly tried to end her, he trained her to fight so that she could free her kingdom of bandits. He helps her to gain courage and trains her in archery. The two share blooming romance but he has a final tribute to complete before gaining access to Olympus and she has a destiny as Queen.

The two part ways never to speak again, until she finds him by the docks in the underworld that is. Hercules agrees to help however, when he flees from Cerberus and Hades shows up it’s revealed that upon leaving Snow White; Hercules was killed attempting to fight Cerberus and having failed his final tribute, he’s been trapped in the underworld ever since. Of course we all know Hades is uncle to Hercules and so Hades issues a warning to our group that by interfering with Hercules, his kin, he’d have to interfere with theirs. Emma takes this as a challenge, but is awe struck when Hades shows her Hook’s Hook ripped from his wrist.

The pity party begins and Mary Margaret sits pouting in the underworld version of their apartment. Regina comes in and whips her into shape reminding her that, Snow White, was a fighter and bested her in the one way no one expected, by making Regina her friend. The pep talk stokes a fire in her belly and Snow White heads back to the docks to talk some sense to Hercules.

Sidebar* Cruella convinces Henry to help make her human again by appealing to his desire to help Emma, I’d love to see how this plays out.

After talking to Snow White Hercules realizes his mistake was fighting a three-headed beast solo. Snow White offers to help him this time and the two team up, unfortunately, Cerberus had already been released by Hades and was chasing Emma and the rest of the group around the square. With some assistance from their new friend, Hercules, Mary Margaret and Megara (yup, that’s who it’s been the entire time) defeat Cerberus and rejoin the group.

Megara realizes that Hercules is the man who tried to save her from Cerberus when she died. He’d been killed in the process, which is how they both ended up in the underworld. The two ascend to Olympus together and Mary Margaret realizes that she no longer wishes to be Mary Margaret. She returns to being Snow White. The broken Storybrook clock, echoes that 2 souls have departed and this angers Hades.

Who decides that for every soul our group saves, one of them must stay to take their place. Next week we see if Hook has the heart to make a choice.

On tonight’s Once Upon A Time, spring premiere, we venture into the underworld in search of Hook’s soul. Emma plans to split her heart in two like her parent’s in order to bring him back to the world of the living. A noble deed for sure, except the underworld is crawling with lost souls who’s unfinished business is likely a member of our rescue party.

Emma and Neil relive a nostalgic moment in her old yellow car. Neil, who is in a “happier place” and as a result couldn’t have returned from death anyway; warns Emma to turn back . Of course, choosing true love she presses on.

Cruella Deville is seen driving her trademark hellmobile through a red tinged doppelgänger of Storybrook. James the deceased evil twin of our Prince Charming (David), uses his twinning skills to steal a kiss from Snow White before disappearing out the back door of Granny’s.

Peter Pan is holding up in Gold’s shop and as usual is attempting to trade places with one of the team members so he can return to the surface world. His selfishness still in tact, he offers a potion to aid the group in rescuing Hook.

Cora who’s unfinished business should be earning the forgiveness of Regina, attempts to save her by threatening to kill her father Henry, who’s down there ONLY because Regina crushed his heart. Regina plans to heed her mother’s advice to save her father from more torment.

The gang uses the potion found from Gold’s shop to locate Hook who looks like he’s been deflecting punches with that gorgeous face of his. He is unable to hear their cries and fades away. Regina’s father can hear and see her just fine and advises Regina to ignore her mother’s threats.

Regina chooses to stay in the Underworld, a decision that forces Cora’s hand and as she does as she promised, the gates of (Heaven?) open welcoming Henry Mills senior into the luminescent world beyond. This information let’s our group know that all of the souls in Limbo can be saved and the group plans to save as many as they can while searching for Hook.

This displeases leader of the underworld and reason for Cora’s treachery, Hades. Who punishes Cora for her failure by returning her to the ragged life of a Miller’s daughter and sending her away. As the episode closes we are able to see that this Hades is very close to the Disney Hercules animated character complete with sarcastic quips and flaming Blue hair.

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